• ESPN and Uninterrupted, the digital media company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, will debut an original series, More Than An Athlete, Nov. 20, exclusively on ESPN+. The eight-episode series follows James’ journey from basketball prodigy to global sports icon, businessman and philanthropist via the bonds of friendship and partnership among four men over more than two decades: James, Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul.

• The NFL and Mexico's President-Elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed that the third game of the existing agreement signed in 2016 will be played in 2019 at Estadio Azteca. The date and time of the game will be determined in conjunction with the release of the 2019 NFL schedule next spring

• NBC Sports and the Premier League are partnering to present their second Premier League Mornings Live, scheduled to take place in New York on Saturday, Dec. 8. The event will include a turf pitch, the Premier League trophy, club mascots and special guests. The initial fan fest in September was attended by more than 2,000 on a rooftop overlooking the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

• Between now and Nov. 19, every use of #SaluteToService on Twitter will generate a $5 donation, up to $5 million, to the NFL’s military non-profit partners – including the Pat Tillman Foundation, TAPS, USO, Wounded Warrior Project and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

December 11, 2017: With Super Bowl LII almost at its front door, Minneapolis is already laying out the welcome mat for the NCAA 2019 Men’s Division Final Four, which, like the NFL’s Big Game, will be played in U.S. Bank Stadium.

The event will be a multi-city affair, including Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington.

Local-based companies with a national footprint that are part of the organizing activation include 3M, Delta Dental, CHS, Land O’Lakes, Polaris Industries, Target and U.S. Bancorp.

Minneapolis previously hosted the Final Four in 1951, 1992 and 2001 (the latter two played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which was demolished in 2014).

U.S. Bank Stadium is also home to the NFL’s Vikings.

“We are thrilled to bring one of the world’s best sporting events back to Minneapolis,” Dan Gavitt, NCAA svp-basketball, said during a ceremony on Dec. 8 to reveal the Final Four logo. “While this will be the fourth time the city has hosted the Final Four, it will look entirely different for fans who attended it here in the past.

“The days of having just two games on Saturday and another Monday are a thing of the past. There will be plenty of activities for everyone to take part in, whether or not you have a ticket to the games, or even if you’re not a basketball fan. It’s going to be an incredibly exciting time for the community,” said Gavitt.

The unveiling was accompanied by the initial stages of a marketing campaign, including a promo spot with Mike Krzyzewski, head basketball coach for Duke University; a dedicated Web site and social media.

The 2019 men’s Final Four logo, according to the MLOC, is “uniquely Minnesotan, combining the contemporary look of the Minneapolis skyline, by including the iconic shape of U.S. Bank Stadium, with the contrasting beauty of nature, a signature asset of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.”

According to Kate Mortenson, MLOC president and CEO, “The Final Four logo itself represents a terrific opportunity to showcase Minneapolis to the rest of the world.

"As we prepare for the Final Four and four days of basketball excitement, we’re also working to ensure our initiatives engage and benefit Minnesota’s youth, business community and residents. Today’s event is just the beginning.”

As part of the 2019 Men’s Final Four event, the MLOC said that North Commons Park on the city’s North Side, which has been open to the public for more than 100 years (its first basketball hoops were installed in 1908), would be the site of the NCAA’s next Legacy Restoration project.

The NCAA said that tickets for the 2019 Men’s Final Four in Minneapolis would be available through a randomized lottery selection process. Ticket applications for the lottery will be accepted between March 12-May 31, 2018.(Full details here.)

The MLOC includes the University of Minnesota as the host institution, Sports Minneapolis and Meet Minneapolis as liaisons to hospitality, the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, representing the game venue, U.S. Bank Stadium